Washing fabric

I also like to wash all my fabric, not only to shrink and get excess dye out, but also because I think it's easier to work with. Pieces seem to stick to each other better when you're piecing them and sewing is more accurate. Unwashed fabric is sometimes kind of "slick". I took a class once where the teacher said that cotton, when it's washed, is like microscopic velcro. Tiny little fibers stick out and cling to each other. I also had heard, as someone mentioned earlier, that washing a bleeding fabric with a piece of white muslin will show whether the dye is really transferring - you can do this with a small piece of each in a bowl of water. And the dye magnet, or whatever it's called now, is also a wonderful thing! NancyH